Near-stampede outside Eden, SRK's flight delayed

A stampede-like situation erupted on the fringes of the Eden Gardens here as die-hard fans of Indian Premier League winner Kolkata Knight Riders clambered over police barricades to gain entry into the arena for the team's felicitation ceremony.

Though entry was made free, passes distributed were far less. This resulted in utter chaos with KKR followers breaking through the barriers and running wildly through them, bypassing the police cover to clinch a seat in the stadium.

Several women and children were injured or left behind in the rush.

The police had to resort to a mild cane charge to control the crowd as mounted personnel and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) struggled to control the mob-like situation.

Thousands, including men, women and children, waited to come in as the clock inched past the scheduled start of 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, the cultural events began inside the Eden Gardens as lucky fans who got in early, eagerly awaited the knights and team owner Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla's arrival.

SRK tweeted earlier: "Sorry Kolkata technical snag on flight. Will be a bit late but will be there. Apologies."

Live renditions of popular chart-toppers from SRK's films including "Aaj Ki Raat" from "Don 2" and "Chance Pe Dance" from "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" added to the frenzy. KKR's anthem "Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Re" could be heard amid the din.